District in Pictures
April 17, 2020
WFISD Rated Among ‘Nation’s Best Communities for Music Education’ for a Third Time
For the third consecutive year, WFISD has been selected as one of the Nation’s Best Communities for Music Education by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), a trade association that supports programs, research and activities that promote music-making. “We have a very dedicated music teaching team, supportive administration, and a community of arts people offering our students additional music opportunities off campus all throughout the year,” said Kelly Strenski, WFISD fine arts director. “Our ‘music village’ is strong and connected here in Wichita Falls, all for the benefit of our student learners.”
Career Education Center Plant Sale During Coronavirus Quarantine Raises $8,300, Up from Last Year’s $3,000
Last year, the Horticulture Class’s Plant Sale was marked by a vicious thunderstorm but students ultimately raised $3,000 from their plant sales. This year, the Coronavirus and its resulting quarantine – and a cold snap on pick-up day -- threatened to shut down the 2020 sale. But with a greenhouse bursting with healthy plants, Agriculture science teacher Amber West would not be deterred. She uploaded a picture and description of every plant to a new website, where shoppers selected their plants online and scheduled specific pick-up times in keeping with social distancing guidelines. Her two-day plant sale raised a record $8,300 and cleaned the place out (pictured). “We are so thankful the city and ISD allowed us to have our sale through the pandemic,” said Ms. West. “We wore gloves and face shields. We are even more thankful to Wichita Falls citizens who showed their support and purchased with us this year! The online portal was a great tool.”
Rider High School JROTC Junior Takes First Place in Writing Contest
Arianna Menden, a junior from Rider High School, won first place in the 5th Brigade JROTC Essay Contest, beating out competitors from more than 175 JROTC high school programs across the country. The annual contest is designed to give cadets an opportunity to assimilate lessons learned from the JROTC curriculum and communicate their knowledge in writing. As part of the 5th Brigade, she competed with students from programs in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arkansas. Her entry will be forwarded to the national contest; a win there will send her on an all-expense paid trip to JLAB 2020 in Washington, D.C.
Milam PTO Buys Gift Cards to Support Local Business Along with Teachers
When the Milam Elementary PTO discussed how to encourage their teachers, they came up with a way that also supports the local economy during this precarious time for small businesses and restaurants. The Milam PTO spent $1,200 in gift cards to several local restaurants and distributed them in special thank you cards to teachers.
Booker T. Washington Elementary’s Own Bedtime Reading Night Features Music Teacher’s Serenade
Students at Booker T. Washington Elementary have been enjoying nightly bedtime stories on the Booker T. Facebook page from familiar school faces. But on April 14, they got a special treat: Music teacher Jaylan Moore sang her book to the Facebook community. “It’s beautiful,” said Principal Angela Rooney. “I know the kids loved hearing her voice. It’s so beautiful and comforting.”
Rider High School Journalism Teacher Logs Unusual First Year
When Zach Duncan transitioned last fall from sports editor at the Times Record News to journalism teacher and tennis/soccer coach at Rider High School, he had no idea that his first year of teaching would end as it did with school closures and quarantines. He even put some of the finishing touches on the yearbook himself. “Kids couldn’t get classroom access,” he said. “Got to be a first!” His newspaper staff of five put out more than 70 stories this year. Students continue working on stories for the Rider Chronicle website at www.theriderchronicle.com. They will post personal columns and Q&As with senior athletes and senior theater students documenting how they feel about their activities being cut short. “I treat the class like a real newsroom, and they’ve embraced that mindset,” said Mr. Duncan. He is pictured here earlier in the year in his coaching role. Photo credit: Richard Cleaver.
Brook Village Pre-K Teacher Enlists Donkey's Help in Reading ‘The Wonky Donkey’
Not every teacher has her own donkey to help her read a story like “The Wonky Donkey,” by Craig Smith. But Brook Village Pre-K teacher Makayla Atchley does! So she took advantage of the virtual reading time by plopping herself next to her favorite donkey, Bucky, for her read-aloud. “This virtual teaching thing is a little fun, sometimes,” she said.
Career Education Center Staff Creates Montage Greeting for Students
With the Career Education Center shut down because of COVID-19, CEC staff members made a collage of photos to reach out and say hello to the more than 1,000 students who used to walk the halls daily.
WFISD Seniors Continue Applying for Scholarships During Quarantine
Some things won’t change, even with a quarantine. Fortunately, scholarships are still available through the WFISD Foundation, and seniors are still applying for them, despite the pandemic. Pictured: Wichita Falls High School senior Kordell Dorman applies for several scholarships.
Jefferson Elementary Teacher Mails Out Reward Certificates to Students
If students ever deserved kudos, it’s now, decided Jefferson teacher Nia Gonzales. She prepared reward certificates for each of her students and wrote each one a letter, praising their efforts at school@home amid the pandemic. “It was such an emotional process, but I hope each one of them is excited to receive it,” she said.
WFISD’s Mexican-born Translator Uses Translation Skills to Help WFISD Families for 16 Years - and Especially Now
Have you ever wondered who WFISD turns to when documents, handbooks and announcements must be translated into Spanish? The answer: Carmen Gonzalez (pictured third from right). Born in Mexico, she has lived in Wichita Falls for 31 years and served WFISD for 16 while raising three children, each one bilingual. As WFISD’s translator and interpreter in the Foreign Languages Department, Mrs. Gonzalez translates a wide range of exams, policies, evaluations, and meetings. Since the lockdown, her work has increased as she translates student assignments from pre-K to second grade and parents’ guides for school@home. She’s also holding her usual ARD meetings online over Google Hangouts or on the phone, interpreting that way. “I’ve stepped into a few parent-teacher conference calls to explain what this period of time for students will look like and what it means for the parent,” she said. “This is a job that requires me to be a lifelong student. I am always learning new information while helping others understand it.” Pictured: The Gonzalez family.
Hirschi Huskies Greet One Another as They Collect Caps and Gowns
Hirschi coaches believe you should never waste an opportunity. So when Hirschi seniors drove through Hirschi’s circle drive to pick up their caps and gowns, the coaches saw their chance to be an encouragement. Coach Gretchen Nielsen created a sign and Coach Elizabeth Kimbell put on her dinosaur costume -- surely a protective covering that complies with distancing requirements -- and danced while holding the sign. “We just want the seniors to know we support them, and we are here for them,” said Coach Nielsen.
WFISD Nurses Meet Virtually
The pandemic may have cleared WFISD’s team of nurses out of the schools, but they are still busy. Many are making phone calls to parents, mailing out immunization letters, preparing for Pre-K and Kindergarten Roundup, tending to over-the-counter medications from their clinics, and trouble-shooting problems from their home offices. Pictured here is a weekly virtual meeting where they keep one another up to date.
Cunningham Elementary Teacher Decides Birthday Celebrations Must Go On
What do quarantined teachers do when it’s a student’s birthday? Cunningham teacher Katie Miller knows that spending a birthday without your friends due to COVID-19 is no fun, so she sent out a special announcement to her students using Screencastify and pushed it out through Google classroom. And since she was making deliveries of student journals, she was able to show up for some to celebrate -- six feet apart. “There were lots of air hugs and some tears as I drove away!” she confessed.
Kirby Middle School Teacher Recommends Virtual Museum Tours
Kirby Middle School students have no excuse to wallow in boredom after Kirby teacher Brandice Snowden sent them a list of virtual museum tours that will take them (safely) all over the world. Thanks to her suggestions, they can "get out of the house" and learn every day.
Wichita Falls High School PALS Reach out to Lamar Elementary Students with Messages
WFHS PALS who visited Lamar students throughout the school year wanted their students to know they hadn’t been forgotten during these days of quarantine and school@home. So they recorded messages and stories to share with their special students, said Lamar Principal Amanda Garcia.
West Foundation Elementary Teacher Does Her Homework, Too
Catherine Norton completed some professional development for Art, then posted her work to Google Drive. “I just want to let kids at West know I am doing my homework, too,” said Mrs. Norton.
Barwise Girls Athletics Continue Team Spirit in TP Volleyball Video
“Even though we can’t be together, it doesn’t mean we can’t be a team!” That’s the mindset of Barwise Middle School athletes on the volleyball team. The girls made a Quarantine Volleyball Video of each one volleying a roll of toilet paper. Through the magic of technology, each clip cuts to the TP roll bounding from one girl’s bedroom to the next.
Lamar Elementary Doubles Down on Food for Easter Holiday
Lamar At-Risk Coordinator Kaycie Taylor made sure families had enough food to last them during the three-day Easter weekend by handing out two packs of food per family late last week. Mrs. Taylor coordinates the food packages with the Food Bank. She also coordinates meeting needs with furniture and financial resources for Lamar families.
Swim Coach Makes a Video to Lift Spirits of Raider, Coyote, Husky Swimmers
WFISD Swim Coach Oyvind Zahl asked his swimmers at Wichita Falls High School, Rider High School and Hirschi High School to make him short, fun videos of how they are dealing with having no swim practice during the Coronavirus shut-down. “I thought I would make one as well to lift their spirits,” he said. Then he combined snippets of them all into a 7-minute video he posted on YouTube titled “How Swimmers Deal with No Swim Practice.” Everybody loved it, “but some say I have too much time on my hands, but it’s all in good fun,” said Coach Zahl.
Franklin Elementary Kindergarten Facebook Family Posts Projects Galore
There seems to be no end to the creativity of the Franklin kindergarten world. After setting up the “Ben Franklin Elementary Kindergarten” private Facebook page, kindergarten parents have posted their children’s learning activities. One student draws a noun, then writes the noun into a sentence. Two boys graph their miniature animals and dinosaurs on a large table. They play the Sight Word Spatula game. Another family rolls the dice, counts out the jewels, then practices writing that number and doing a little dice/jewel math. Two sisters play a bullseye math game outdoors with a bulls eye drawn with chalk on the driveway. One family makes a mini greenhouse.The site proves that plenty of creative learning can happen at home.
Milam Staff Finds Fun Way to Greet Librarian
Milam staff weren’t about to miss National Librarian’s Day just because all schools were closed. They opened the day’s Google Meet with everyone holding up a book (and this poster) to wish librarian Stephanie Biggs a happy National Librarian’s Day. “Milam campus is the best!” said Ms. Biggs.
WFISD’s ‘Goodnight Wichita Falls’ Continues with Celebrity Readers
What do Mayor Stephen Santellana, Burgess Principal Jeff Hill, West Foundation librarian Janice Howard, Fowler Elementary teacher Britney Prickett and Jefferson Elementary Instructional Media Specialist Kristan Neeb (pictured) all have in common? They were all featured on the WFISD Facebook page this week as celebrity readers.
A WFISD Registered Nurse Addresses Future Medical Needs During Quarantine
Mistie Coovert, one of WFISD’s registered nurses who works at the Farris Early Childhood Center and at Northwest Head Start, has plenty to do during the quarantine even though she isn’t able to see children at her clinic. She is tracking the immunizations of children at both campuses and sending out alerts to families who will need to get them in the fall. She’s planning out yearly physicals, dental exams and hearing and vision check-ups for students who need them. She’s also checking in with parents and the medically needy. She meets weekly with her principal, Head Start staff and Region 9 associates and assists with weekly school@home packet delivery and Power Pack food deliveries. Her best advice for children: Stay home, wash your hands, get plenty of sleep and physical activity, and eat a healthy diet.
Lamar Elementary Teacher Keeps Social Contract Front and Center
Lamar first-grade teacher Cynthia Polk displayed her class Social Contract during her online sessions with students this week. “She makes reference to the contract during the whole class and on one-to-one student meetings,” said Lamar Principal Amanda Garcia. “Teachers at Lamar continue to capture kids’ hearts during school@home by beginning the meets by mentioning ‘good things’ and referencing their class social contracts.” Lamar is currently a National Capturing Kids’ Hearts Showcase campus for the second consecutive year and has been nominated for a third year in 2020.
McNiel Middle School Teacher Challenges 7th Graders to Beat Her Score
There’s nothing like a little competition with your teacher to make the juices flow. This week in History classes at school@home, students across the district learned about the importance of the U.S. Census. After reading articles, students could complete their own practice census. They were challenged to play Population Bracketology on census.gov. McNiel 7th grade Texas History teacher Chelsea Howells wasted no time in playing herself, then challenged her students to beat her score of 54.
Lamar Students Receive Snacks Along with Paper Packets
Lamar staff members who delivered school@home paper packets to their students slipped in special snacks with their deliveries.
McNiel Middle School Librarian Celebrates Graduates Her Own Way
McNiel librarian Belinda Wolf didn’t wait for someone else to celebrate her students’ upcoming graduations. She celebrated them herself in her own way, posting the good news on the front of her house.
McNiel Middle School Teacher Cites Impressive Student Work from School@Home Week One
The assignment may have been the same for all, but each student found his or her own way to do it. For the first week of school@home, students in Social Studies grades 6-12 were asked to sum up their current situation as a “primary source.” McNiel’s Chelsea Howells was impressed with what her students created. “We had comic strips, journal entries, slide presentations, prezis, and videos,” she said. “It was really a success.”
Kirby Middle School Picks a Day to Celebrate Specialists
Quarantine or not, you can still express gratefulness. With so many specialists working behind the scenes to make school@home successful, Kirby Middle School called out its appreciation to several of its hard-working staff. “Today we celebrate our assistant principals, School Improvement Specialist and Instructional Dean,” said Kirby Principal Shannon Cunningham. “While we may not be together today, they are working hard to make School@Home successful for everyone. Thank you John Lankford, Datra Lonon, Tristan Browne and Tami Davis.”
#IAMWFISD
District in Pictures is a weekly publication developed by the WFISD Community Relations department. If you have events, recognitions or classroom activities taking place on your campus that you would like us to cover, please let us know by emailing Ashley Thomas at athomas@wfisd.net or Ann Work Goodrich at awork@wfisd.net. We would love to include you in our weekly district news. (Please know that we will do our best to cover every story idea submitted but it may not be possible to include everything every week due to time constraints.)
Email: athomas@wfisd.net
Website: www.wfisd.net
Location: 1104 Broad Street, Wichita Falls, TX, USA
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